ALEXANDRA FROM "A MOTHER'S " POINT OF VIEW.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 300, 30 October 1873, Page 6

ALEXANDRA FROM " A MOTHER'S " POINT OF VIEW.

(To the Editor. ) rit Sib, — -Amongst your numerous correspondents from Alexandra, none of - them, have drawn, as far as I can remember, the attention pf the inhabitants to its many natural advantages, 8,11(1 one of the greatest it possesses 5s its fine supply of water j all the world, or at least the world round here, knows how nicely Alexandra is situated on lh^ junction of two great rivers, so gFeat that they have threatened more than once to unite and overwhelm it ; besides, the snow-cap'd range of mountains whjch surround it, and which afford during the summer months a never-failing supply of Streamlets, which wander down their sides like threads of tilver. The streamlets I refer to have, by perseverance and energy, been utilised and conducted in two large races, whether for the owners'' benefit or otherwise, ana at a loss to conjecture, and they have both terminated in or near the township ; but although there is " water, water everywhere," the want of water for domestic purposes has been the bete noir of our existence. The first great difficulty experienced several years ago was how to supply the school.* TLe School were driven to their wits' ! ■ end; several meetings were called, and in thoae good old days the Committee only met when '• some great question was about to be discussed, but this question seemed at one time to be almost too great for them. Indeed threads of silver began to be apnear in the head of mora than one I member during their term of office ; but, at last, [a bright idea occurred to qxi& of and accordingly agreed to by the rest, that the best method of supplying the- school -was by bottles. It would have been amu,siug to see the Jittle toddlers staggering under the Weight oIT their beer, brandy, and gin bottles, were it not distressing to think that a trip aver the next tussock might send them to quench their thirst at everlasting streams ; but as. some* parents concluded that the was less dangerous than the bottles, the children of such parents were driven to drink from a stagnant j ggpik in the vicinity-; others, more courageous, threw themselves on the bank, of the Molyneux, andlapped water like a dog to. the great horrop of the residents on the west bank, but in her mercy has provided for tjjie shortcomings "-of all her children, Alexandra included. A low /ever broke out, from which few families escaped. More thanone parent watched pillow of their apparently dying children. A resolution was formed Xtot to endure tliis'state of tinners any lon-yyi*— ~a resolution which was accordingly carried iuto effect, a^upply of - pure water wasq>povLdftd ffi the cost of a few shillings weekly. - yrhj this \BSA nQt. taa tA &*s.ti Qaj* b&^aldj but.

thereby hangs a tale too long for insertion in this letter ; but, although ! the children were at last provided for, the want of an > adequate supply of .water was felt by the inhabitants to be a very great hardship, until one auspicious day the Corporation bought the Ovens water race. The people were, jubilant, but their joy was of short duration, as it soon oozed out that, although they, had bought the race with the ratepayers' money, they did not intend that many of them should enjoy the benefit. They leased the water with a special clause that no one owning a garden should have water on any terms Whatever, but there was one Haman at the gate in the shape of a garden through which the race flowed long before the Corporation existed. The Corporation could not remove the garden as it is freehold, but they could divert the water in another direction , and to consider the best method of doin# so, lias occupied the attention of the Council for the last six months ; in fact, so much interest has this little spot excited that it has become quite a fashionable promenade. It was quite a common occurrence to see the Mayor, Councillors, .and Town Clerk, followed by a troop of children, take a walk round, view it from all points, and then depart looking quite learned, followed generally by workmen next day with the necessary implements for barricading ; but somehow or other, after a few days, the race was found to have burat its bounds, and flowing as composedly as ever in its own channel. This might be endured in winter, but now the trees begin to bud and send forth their leaves, and by-andTbye their arms would be long enough, *arid who knows, perhaps wicked enough, to embrace even the Mayor should he venture within their . grasp ; so a final effort was made to bury it under a mountain ; this time, I , am afraid, they have been successful. , I think it was a great mistake that a member was chosen to represent the district from Clyde instead of Alexandra. How delightful such members would prove to carry the policy of a Macandrew. He would then be enabled to borrow any number of millions for a water supply for the goldfields; then enter into jan agreement with speculators that no miner need apply. Could he not issue such splendid advertisements for circulation in the oolonies generally, and Great Britain in partioular, "free selections before surveyf" and when the deluded victims arrived, canld he not point with pride to Ms agreement with the Waste Lands Board that none but squatters were allowed to select ; but to ever-y dark cloud there is a silver lining, and the silver lining to this very dark one consists in their official ignoi*ance, as I have been informed on good authority, except as a written evidenos of their wish to injure instead of benefit, the agreement in question is not worth the paper it is written on. I suppose it is too much to ask the Town Clerk for a copy, but hope one will be preserved, if only tbat the rising generation may thereby be enabled to point a moral and adorn a tale. — Yours, &d, A. Mother.